US 5,298,692 A · Earpiece for insertion in an ear canal, and an earphone, microphone, and earphone/microphone combination comprising the same

Abstract

An earpiece for insertion in an ear canal as a part of an earphone, an ear mounted microphone, an earphone/microphone combination or the like. The earpiece comprises a body part suitable for housing an earphone transducer and/or a solid vibration pickup, and a canal insert joined to the body part. Having a generally elongate shape, the canal insert has a rear portion joined directly to the body part, a front portion away from the body part, and a midportion through which the rear and the front portions are joined together. The front portion and midportion of the canal insert have their cross sectional dimensions determined in a predefined relationship to fit as closely as feasible in the ear canals of a majority of people. The earpiece may be provided with a stabilizer, as in the form of a contact piece or pieces projecting laterally therefrom, for greater stability against dislodgement from the ear canal or rotational displacement therein. There are also disclosed herein earphones, microphones, and earphone/microphone combinations including the earpiece.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An earpiece to be inserted in an ear canal as a part of an earphone, an ear mounted microphone, an earphone/microphone combination or the like, comprising:

(A) a body part;
(B) a canal insert joined to the body part and having a generally elongate shape to fit in an ear canal longitudinally thereof, the canal insert comprising:
(a) a rear portion joined directly to the body part;
(b) a front portion away from the body part, the front portion being of a substantially elliptical cross section;
and
(c) a midportion intermediate the rear portion and the front portion, the midportion being of a substantially elliptical cross section;
(d) there being a median plane with respect to which the canal insert is substantially of bilateral symmetry;
(e) said canal insert, when seen in a direction perpendicular to said median plane, having a concavity at the midportion along one side of the canal insert and being convexed along the other side of the canal insert, said concavity being shaped to fit on a prominence on the inner wall of the ear canal to prevent the earpiece from slipping out of the canal;
(f) there being the following dimensional relationship between the front portion and the midportion of the canal insert;
b/a>b'/a'
where a=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction which is perpendicular to the median plane;
b=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a second direction which is contained in the median plane and which is at right angles with the first direction;
a'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction;
b'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in the second direction.

11 more elements

An ear mounted microphone comprising:

An earpiece to be inserted in an ear canal, the earpiece comprising a body part and a canal insert joined to the body part, the canal insert having a generally elongate shape to fit in an ear canal longitudinally thereof and comprising:
(a) a rear portion joined directly to the body part;
(b) a front portion away from the body part, the front portion being of a substantially elliptical cross section;
and
(c) a midportion intermediate the rear portion and the front portion, the midportion being at a substantially elliptical cross section;
(d) there being a median plane with respect to which the canal insert is substantially of bilateral symmetry;
(e) said canal insert, when seen in a direction perpendicular to said median plane, having a concavity at the midportion along one side of the canal insert and being convexed along the other side of the canal insert, said concavity being shaped to fit on a prominence on the inner wall of the ear canal to prevent the earpiece from slipping out of the canal:
(f) there being the following dimensional relationship between the front portion and the midportion of the canal insert;
b/a>b'/a'
where a=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction which is perpendicular to the median plane;
b=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a second direction which is contained in the median plane and which is at right angles with the first direction;
a'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction;
b'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in the second direction;
and
(B) a microphone assembly comprising:
(a) an elongate sidepiece having one end coupled to the earpiece;
and
(b) a microphone transducer supported on an other end of the sidepiece.

15 more elements

An earphone/microphone combination comprising:

(A) an earpiece to be inserted in an ear canal, the earpiece comprising a body part and a canal insert joined to the body part, the canal insert having a generally elongated shape to fit in an ear canal longitudinally thereof and comprising:
(a) a rear portion joined directly to the body part;
(b) a front portion away from the body part, the front portion being of a substantially elliptical cross section;
and
(c) a midportion intermediate the rear portion and the front portion, the midportion being of a substantially elliptical cross section;
(d) there being a median plane with respect to which the canal insert is substantially of bilateral symmetry;
(e) said canal insert, when seen in a direction perpendicular to said median plane, having a concavity at the midportion along one side of the canal insert and being convexed along the other side of the canal insert, said concavity being shaped to fit on a prominence on the inner wall of the ear canal to prevent the earpiece from slipping out of the canal;
(f) there being the following dimensional relationship between the front portion and the midportion of the canal insert;
b/a>b'/a'
where a=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction which is perpendicular to the median plane;
b=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a second direction which is contained in the median plane and which is at right angles with the first direction;
a'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction;
b'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in the second direction;
and
(B) an earphone transducer built into the earpiece, there being a sound channel formed in the canal insert of the earpiece for communicating the earphone transducer with the ear canal.
(C) a vibration pickup built into the earpiece for picking up the voice of the wearer of the microphone.

13 more elements

An earphone/microphone combination comprising:

(A) an earpiece to be inserted in an ear canal, the earpiece comprising a body part and a canal insert joined to the body part, the canal insert having a generally elongate shape to fit in an ear canal longitudinally thereof and comprising:
(a) a rear portion joined directly to the body part;
(b) a front portion away from the body part, the front portion being of a substantially elliptical cross section;
and
(c) a midportion intermediate the rear portion nd the front portion, the midportion being of a substantially elliptical cross section;
(d) there being a median plane with respect to which the canal insert is substantially of bilateral symmetry;
(e) said canal insert, when seen in a direction perpendicular to said median plane, having a concavity at the midportion along one side of the canal insert and being convexed along the other side of the canal insert, said concavity being shaped to fit on a prominence on the inner wall of the ear canal to prevent the earpiece from slipping out of the canal;
(f) there being the following dimensional relationship between the front portion and the midportion of the canal insert;
b/a>b'/a'
where a=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction which is perpendicular to the median plane;
b=the cross sectional dimension of the front portion of the canal insert as measured in a second direction which is contained in the median plane and which is at right angles with the first direction;
a'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in a first direction;
b'=the cross sectional dimension of the midportion of the canal insert as measured in the second direction;
(B) an earphone transducer built into the earpiece, there being a sound channel formed in the canal insert of the earpiece for communicating the earphone transducer with the ear canal;
and
(C) a microphone transducer supported on another end of the sidepiece.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Earpiece for insertion in an ear canal, and an earphone, microphone, and earphone/microphone combination comprising the same

Life of this patent

Earpiece for insertion in an ear canal, and an earphone, microphone, and earphone/microphone combination comprising the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23